Chronicle

Fox CEO Tom Rothman Talks 48fps, THE WOLVERINE, PROMETHEUS, CHRONICLE 2, DIE HARD 5, Comic Book Movies, and a Lot More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 3rd, 2012 at 8:43 pm

At this year’s CinemaCon, I was able to land an exclusive interview with Tom Rothman (Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment).  While we posted selected portions of the interview last week, after the jump you can read the entire conversation which covers a lot more than comic book movies.  I love getting to speak with actors and directors, but if you really want to find out which projects are moving forward and why certain decisions were made, a studio head has all the answers.

During the wide-ranging conversation we talked about 48 frames per second, the shift towards higher quality films on Fox’s slate, Prometheus (and it’s rating), Daredevil, Fantastic Four, the Chronicle sequel, The Wolverine, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel, a New Mutants movie, A Good Day to Die Hard (Die Hard 5), and more.  Hit the jump to read what he had to say.

Writer Max Landis Talks CHRONICLE 2 Featuring the World’s First Super-Villain; Comments on Possibility of Josh Trank Directing the Sequel

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 29th, 2012 at 2:40 pm

With the guaranteed blockbuster superhero movie The Avengers opening in less than a week, let’s turn our attention briefly to an unexpected heroic hit: Chronicle.  Screenwriter Max Landis gave an extensive interview recently at the Middle East Film and Comic Con 2012 in Dubais in which he discussed the sequel to his found-footage superhero film, Chronicle 2.  Whereas the first film gave us the origin story of the world’s first super-heroes, the follow up will apparently focus on the world’s first super-villain.  Landis had a lot to say on the script, which he is currently writing and also commented on the possibility of director Josh Trank returning for the sequel.  Hit the jump to see some of Landis’ choice quotes as well as the full video interview.

Max Landis to Write CHRONICLE 2

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 7th, 2012 at 7:20 pm

Max Landis’ Chronicle was one of Collider’s Most Anticipated Films for the first quarter of 2012 and was a nice little box office surprise for Fox. The studio is hoping that lightning strikes twice as Landis has been tapped to write the sequel to the found-footage superhero film. Chronicle’s plot line followed three teenagers (Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan) as they acquired superhuman powers and attempted to gain control over them. Without giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say that not all of them were able to walk the straight and narrow path. Chronicle played out in such a way that a direct sequel involving all of the principal characters would be difficult, but fans of comics know that, in the world of superhuman powers, quite literally anything is possible. Hit the jump for more on Chronicle.

Weekend Box Office – CHRONICLE and THE WOMAN IN BLACK Both Break $20 Million on Super Bowl Weekend

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: February 5th, 2012 at 9:31 am

It didn’t claim the record for highest debut or the greatest attendance, but this year’s Super Bowl weekend still caught most box office watchers by surprise with two bigger-than-expected openings. Fox’s Chronicle was first with $22 million from 2,907 locations, but CBS Films’ The Woman in Black was right on its heels with $21 million from 2,855. That’s the first time that two titles have opened to over $20 million on a Super Bowl frame since… ever.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Chronicle	$22,000,000	$22
2	The Woman in Black	$21,000,000	$21
3	The Grey	$9,500,000	$34.7
4	Big Miracle	$8,480,000	$8.5
5	Underworld Awakening	$5,600,000	$54.3
6	One For The Money	$5,250,000	$19.6
7	Red Tails	$5,000,000	$41.3
8	The Descendants	$4,600,000	$65.5
9	Man on a Ledge	$4,460,000	$14.7
10	Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close	$3,925,000	$26.7

TOP 5: WATCHMEN Prequel Comics, CHRONICLE Interviews, 16-Bit BREAKING BAD, DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX, Sundance 2012 Interviews

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 4th, 2012 at 10:33 am

This past week brought us a story that is near and dear to me. While I briefly give my own thoughts regarding DC Comics’ Watchmen prequel comic series after the jump, I want to use the “Top 5′s” opening paragraph space to invite readers to voice/type their own opinions on the announcement in the comments section. As a fervent fan of the series, I’m always interested to hear fellow fans’ take on Watchmen adaptations, prequels, and the like. So, with that said, what do you think? Does the creative talent involved interest you? Is it the best idea ever? The worst? Somewhere in between? Sound off in the comments.

In addition to DC’s Before Watchmen announcement, this installment of the “Top 5″ includes interviews with the cast and director of superhero/found-footage pic Chronicle, a “What If?” look at a 16-Bit Breaking Bad RPG, ten things to know about Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Sundance 2012 video interviews with Bradley Cooper, Paul Dano and more. A brief recap and link to each follows after the jump.

Friday Box Office – CHRONICLE and THE WOMAN IN BLACK in Tight Race for Super Bowl Title

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: February 4th, 2012 at 8:47 am

Box office watchers were not expecting much from this year’s crop of Super Bowl Weekend releases. The three films opening against America’s biggest sporting event had modest goals to match their (mostly) modest budgets; and yet, here we are, with a photo finish for first on Friday and a weekend that is shaping up to make 2011’s Super Bowl weekend pale by comparison.  Estimates put Fox’s Chronicle on top with $8.6 million from 2,907 locations. Not far behind, however, is CBS Film’s The Woman in Black with an estimate of $8.3 million from 2,855 locations. That’s 45% higher than anyone expected from the supernatural-thriller. Right now, Chronicle is expected to edge out Black with $20 million to $19.7 million this weekend; but it is important to note that neither film was projected to make anything close to $20 million by Sunday. Only Universal’s Big Miracle is coming in as projected. The family film made an estimated $2.3 million on Friday for what looks like an $8 million first weekend. Join us tomorrow for a more detailed look at the studios’ counterprogramming successes, unless you have other plans…?

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Chronicle	$8,650,000	$8.6
2	The Woman in Black	$8,300,000	$8.3
3	The Grey	$3,200,000	$28.4
4	Big Miracle	$2,300,000	$2.3
5	Underworld Awakening	$1,700,000	$50.5

Alex Russell CHRONICLE Interview

by Tommy Cook    Posted: February 3rd, 2012 at 7:48 am

In Chronicle, newcomer Alex Russell stars as Matt, the faux “poet laureate” prone to namedropping Jung and Plato, the better to woo ladies and prove intellectual superiority – and this is before the guy even gets superpowers. But instead of becoming more braggadocious after the discovery, Matt’s newfound abilities humble him (well – his inability to use telekinesis properly humble him). Matt soon becomes the voice of reason for the film – warning his friends to use their powers sparingly and never to hurt any living thing with them. Ironically enough – the poser philosopher inadvertently becoming the wise man he always pretended to be….

In the following interview with Alex Russell, he discusses (not) researching philosophy books for the character, how to perfect an American accent (he’s Australian) and the rehearsal process for Chronicle. To watch the full interview, hit the jump.

CHRONICLE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 2nd, 2012 at 12:38 pm

The cinéma vérité style can easily go astray. It can be used more as a lazy way to put the viewer closer to the action without worrying about thoughtful cinematography or good performances.  Chronicle avoids the pitfalls by coming up with a good reason why its story should take a found-footage approach instead of a half-assed reason why a character should carry around a camera.  Rather than throw non-actors into the fray for “raw” performances (i.e. sloppy), the film places its trust in lead actors who give good performances.  There are times when the movie can no longer hold its fake documentary conceit together and at the climax it loses the character drama in favor of a big action scene, but Chronicle manages to be not only a good found-footage movie, but a good movie period.

Michael B. Jordan CHRONICLE Interview

by Tommy Cook    Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 9:50 pm

Michael B. Jordan (best known from television via Friday Night Lights and The Wire) emanates an effortless aura of “cool”. In Chronicle, the upcoming found footage + superhero flick, Jordan channels his inherent charms as Steve Montgomery – the uber-popular wannabe politician who upon exposure to a radiating crystal-of-some-kind obtains the ability of telekinesis. I spent the majority of Chronicle convinced that this Steve cat was just too cool, too smooth, too damn likable – that there must be something wrong with the kid, something he’s hiding, some sinister motive or skeleton-in-a-closet; but my paranoia was proven unfounded as Steve reveals himself to be far more empathetic and kind then even he initially lets on.

In the following interview, Michael B. Jordan talks about being just so darn likable, the political figure he emulated for Steven and his time on television (past – Wallace on The Wire and future – an upcoming stint on House). For the full interview hit the jump.

Dane DeHaan Talks CHRONICLE and John Hillcoat’s WETTEST COUNTY

by Tommy Cook    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 9:02 am

Found footage films hinge on an audience participatory relationship. They’re movies that -by definition- acknowledge the verisimilitude of cinema (i.e. that a camera is filming the events seen) – but more importantly they recognize the viewer as an audience member.  It’s why found footage pics -more than any other genre- prompt vocal reactions in a theater (gasps, shrieks, jeers, talkback). Film, in general, is thought of as an immersive art; however found footage films have the opposite effect: they distance… As a result, characters within the films tend to be little more than placeholders, thin cardboard cutouts for the viewer to imbue onto. Director Josh Trank’s Chronicle (thankfully) bucks this trend. The three leads – Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell – craft three fully realized performances: DeHaan as Andrew, the outcast whose newfound superpowers give him a sense of entitlement best left undiscovered; Jordan as Steven, the wannabe politician – his unflinching coolness a mask for hidden levels of empathy; and Russell as Matt, the arrogant dick whose inability to properly harness his powers finally humble him. It’s a credit to these performances that Chronicle is able to rise above the inherent limitations of its genre.

In the following interview, star Dane DeHaan speaks about the philosophical underpinnings of his character, the rehearsal process and learning “how to fly”.  He also previews his character Cricket Pate in John Hillcoat’s forthcoming Wettest County.  To watch the interview, hit the jump. Chronicle hits theaters this Friday.

Director Josh Trank Talks CHRONICLE, the FANTASTIC FOUR Reboot, and Future Projects

by Tommy Cook    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 11:00 am

On the surface, it may be easy to dismiss Josh Trank’s debut Chronicle as little more than a get-rich-quick mishmash of the two most popular genres of the moment (superhero & found footage flicks); but underneath it’s admittedly franchise friendly exterior, Chronicle seems as fatigued with the inundation of shaky cams and male (always male) heroics as there are films prescribed to the genres. Many critics have bemoaned the use of the found footage conceit in Chronicle, complaining that the movie could exist without and would be better if played “straight”, but these reviewers seem to miss that their objections are exactly the point (the camera being rendered moot about midway through as a meta-textual dismissal of the entire genre). When the picture climaxes literally with a cacophony of cameras and multi-POVs, it’s as if Trank’s putting the entirety of “recorded” films on notice. Just because you shake the camera or shoot a bunch of footage out of focus or chop people’s heads out of frame, doesn’t make your film more “realistic” or a descendent of Cinema Verite; all it means (Chronicle and by proxy Trank implies) – is that you’re a really shitty cinematographer.

In the following interview, director Josh Trank discusses Chronicle’s variations from the typical found footage film, rejects Nietzschean “Superman” philosophy and talks about those pesky Fantastic Four rumors.  Hit the jump to watch.

4 Movie Clips and 9 Images from CHRONICLE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 28th, 2012 at 11:20 am

We’ve been provided with four clips and nine images from the upcoming superhero found footage film Chronicle to share with our readers. The story centers on three high school students who are endowed with superhuman powers after being exposed to an unknown substance in an underground lair. The pic chronicles what happens when some of the most irresponsible human beings on the planet—teenagers—are given incredible abilities. Buzz for the film has been very positive, and you can read our preview footage report and interview with the film’s director, Josh Trank, here. In fact, 20th Century Fox is apparently so pleased with the finished product that Trank is their number one choice to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.

Hit the jump to check out the clips and images. The film stars Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, and Alex Russell and it was written by Max Landis.  Chronicle opens February 3rd, 2012.

New International Poster and Two Clips for CHRONICLE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 5:51 pm

The “found footage” movie that made its way into two of our “Most Anticipated” lists is beginning to rev up its marketing engine. Chronicle, which debuted its first trailer back in October, recently released two clips entitled “The Discovery” and “The Baseball Test.” The first clip is essentially a teaser about how three teenagers acquire telekinesis and other superpowers, but it does a nice job of setting up the dynamic among them. The second clip features the guys testing out their new found powers and contains hilarious moments of schadenfreude; it also happens to give nice foreshadowing in a subtle, yet unnerving performance by Dane DeHaan (True Blood). Unfortunately, the poor quality of the CG baseball doesn’t bode well for the rest of the film. Hit the jump to check out the clips and a new poster for Chronicle.

Collider’s Most Anticipated 2012 Movies: January to March

by Collider Staff    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 8:24 am

The first three months of the year are often known as the dumping ground that follows the loaded awards season, but we here at Collider found plenty to look forward to in the releases from January to March.  As part of our Most Anticipated series, Matt, Adam, Brendan, and Dave each picked their top 5 and included a brief explanation of why these movies are noteworthy, and what has us excited.  All in all, we selected ten films that represent a variety of genres including drama, comedy, action, horror, sci-fi, and animation.  Hit the jump for our picks, along with information on the cast and plot for each film.

CHRONICLE Footage Preview and Interview with Director Josh Trank

by Tommy Cook    Posted: January 6th, 2012 at 9:59 am

If I was telekinetic, I would probably just sit in a comfy reclining chair and drink hot cocoa and have every single conversation there –in my chair- forcing any who wanted to speak with me to come within talking distance and I’d probably win every conversation because if I didn’t or the other disagreed with me, I’d force him/her into the corner of my chair-room, until they nodded in sycophantic agreement. I’d be the super-villain, I oh so wish I was. That and I would scare small children by floating stuffed teddy bears off the aisles of shelves in front of their innocent, terrified faces. So imagine my chagrin – to see such a scene in the upcoming douchebags-get-superpowers cum found footage flick Chronicle (the excellent trailer to which can be found here).

The film exemplifies just what happens when the least responsible people in the world (i.e. teenagers) get powers they are more than ill suited for. Chronicle, for those unfamiliar, concerns three high school students, who after being exposed to something in an underground lair suddenly have the ability to move cars, people, baseballs, and (most importantly) teddy bears by only the far recesses of their mind. To say they abuse these powers would be putting it mildly. Girls’ skirts are blown up alla Marilyn Monroe, children are frightened via teddies, cars demolished, innocents grievously injured, Seattle destroyed (poor Space Needle) etc… At the 20^th Century Fox lot, select footage (about eighteen or so minutes) from the film was shown and an impromptu interview with the film’s director Josh Trank conducted. For a full description of the footage and highlights from the proceeding interview, hit the jump.

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